The Pagan Roots of Groundhog Day

Each year on February second Punxsutawney Phil stirs in his burrow and presents himself to a crowd who is anxiously awaiting his meteorological expertise. News outlets across the United States anxiously await the opportunity to share the forecast with the country regarding Phil's prediction, whether it means an early spring or not. While the country as a whole looks forward to the groundhog's yearly appearance, few of them realize that they are taking part in an ancient pagan tradition.

February second is most widely known for being Groundhog's day, but devout Catholics might also recognize it as the day set aside to honor Saint Brigitte, a parallel of the Celtic Pagan Bride's Day. Pagans on the other hand, recognize the day as a minor holiday with a number of different names and traditions, the most widely accepted being Imbolc. Imbolc (pronounced ee-melc) translates literally into 'the milk'. The day was set aside for celebration as the time when the first signs of spring make themselves evident to the observer. Often the first hint that spring is over the horizon is pregnancy and the growth of milk in livestock.

The holiday was always a day of weather divining , even before the groundhog was introduced in to the scheme. This evolves from the Irish belief that the Goddess Cailleach gathers all the firewood she will need for the rest of the winter on the day of Imbolc. The lore tells that if she plans on a long winter she will make the day sunny so that she will be able to gather more firewood for the long days ahead, but if she plans on starting spring shortly she will not need so much firewood and will instead remain at home. Traditionally, pagan farmers would keep an eye on the burrows of serpents , ferrets , badgers or other underground dwellers to see if they emerged from their dens, and make the appropriate weather forecast according to whether the animals would be able to see their shadow or not. Pagan people lit candles throughout the festival to bring light into the darkness and encourage the return of the warm days of spring through sympathetic magic and ritual.
Imbolc was the sacred day of the goddess Brigid, and offerings and honor were given to her on this day. Brigid was believed to have this one day to walk on the Earth . This belief grew into a tradition of making corn dolls in her honor. Young women would hand make a corn shuck doll representation of Brigid on this day which was given honor. It was believed that items left outdoors would be blessed by Brigid's passage during the night. Some of these traditions have been almost completely absorbed by Christianity and continue today in parts of Great Britain. Candlemas is a combination of the two holidays which honors the Christian version of the Goddess Brigid as the Saint Bridgett. Candles are still a large part of the celebration and the blessings of the saint are asked.